Chapter 22: The Search for the Black Dragon Part 2

Chapter 22:
The Search for the Black Dragon Part 2

 

ASHAMED, I looked up at Zavilia.

He glared at the two blue dragons above us and let out a roar. I immediately created a barrier with my magic to protect the knights from the sound, sure that things wouldn’t be pretty if they heard. The two blue dragons didn’t retreat. They just bared their fangs threateningly.

Zavilia… He said that he didn’t want to fight blue dragons because he used to be one. What kind of friend would I be if I couldn’t grant his one request?

I patted him on the back. “Thank you for protecting me, Zavilia. You can leave the rest to me and the knights.”

I turned around to face those knights, only to find almost all of them making the same face—wide-eyed and mouth agape.

“I-Is that the B-B-B-B-Black…Dragon…King?!”

“N-n-n-no way…th-the legendary ancient dragon is real?!”

They looked at me in horror.

“F-F-F-Fia!” a knight yelled. “Q-q-quickly! Run!”

“Y-yeah, run! B-before it kills you!”

Only Quentin wore a different expression. He seemed overcome with emotion, hands clasped in front of him as he stared at Zavilia, spellbound.

“Such a…a sublime form! Oh, how lucky am I to gaze upon you in all your majesty! Your splendor…your divine beauty! No…no words can do thee justice!”

Yeah…I guess I’m used to him being a weirdo now, huh?

A single knight started laughing hysterically. “I—ha—I think the fear’s getting to me! I’m starting to see and hear things. I could swear I just heard Fia talk to the Black Dragon King and even call it by name! Crazy! Like it was her friend or something! Hell, I even saw her pat its back. I’m losing it for sure!”

Yeah, everyone’s panicking. They probably won’t notice if I cast a little strengthening magic on them!

I extended my hands toward the knights…but before I could cast my strengthening magic, Zavilia pressed his head against my back. Surprised by this sudden display of affection, I turned around to look at him. “Zavilia?”

“Thank you for taking my grumblings seriously. I was…confused. I lost sight of what was really important to me.” He looked up at the blue dragons above. “Leave those two to me, Fia. I had my priorities backwards when I said I didn’t want to fight blue dragons. Above all, I wish to protect you.”

I didn’t have time to reply. He soared into the air with his grand wings and, with but a few flaps of them, he flew higher than those blue dragons. Alarmed by his speedy approach, the two blue dragons spread out beneath him, baring their teeth in an attempt at intimidation, surrounding him on either side.

I looked up at the three dragons and gulped. Is this all right? Zavilia’s strong, but it’s two on one…

The two blue dragons were mates and probably knew how to fight together, and Zavilia had only matured recently. Could his fangs really pierce their hard scales?

I couldn’t stop worrying about him. Then he suddenly descended, as if he didn’t care that he was surrounded. Utterly unfazed by their intimidation, Zavilia swerved toward one and effortlessly sunk his fangs into the base of its neck. The blue dragon couldn’t even react.

“Huh?” From below, I could’ve sworn that Zavilia looked pained as he sunk his teeth into the dragon’s neck. But he bit the blue dragon’s neck in two, and the pieces fell dead to the earth.

“Ah—move it!” a knight shouted. They all hurried to avoid the falling corpse. The two pieces of the blue dragon crashed with a deafening thud right where the knights had stood moments prior. A great cloud of dust erupted from the collision. Knights went flying. Sprawled on the ground, the knights looked up at Zavilia in sheer terror.

“Wh-wh-wh-what is that thing?”

“Th-the Black Dragon King is this strong?”

“Death itself! It’s death itself!”

The knights watched in horror as the remaining blue dragon, enraged by the death of its mate, charged Zavilia. It roared and swooped up…and was sent flying with a swing of Zavilia’s tail.

Zavilia faced the blue dragon and opened his maw to roar. The sound-blocking barrier I’d set up protected everyone from that roar, but not the shock wave that came after. I tensed in anticipation of the ear-splitting roar, but what came next…was dragonfire. The fire bore straight through the blue dragon’s neck and down into the forest below, blazing a swath of it black. The blue dragon fell just as its companion had, crashing to the earth with a resounding thud.

“Uh…” No proper words formed in my mouth. I could only flap my jaw open and shut like a beached bass. This was my first time seeing Zavilia fight, and he was stronger than I could have ever imagined.

Wh-what? Zavilia’s this strong? That baby dragon, Zavilia…that child…will he get even stronger?!

The other knights looked just as stunned, their faces frozen stiff with shock.

Everyone watched as Zavilia gracefully descended to me. He straightened his back and met my eyes silently. Still shocked, I managed to look up, wanting to thank him…and then I noticed something strange about his appearance.

“Uh…Zavilia, did you always have that horn?”

A splendid horn sprouted from the middle of Zavilia’s forehead now. It hadn’t been there before…had it?

“Fia…” His voice was filled with determination. “I shall now become a king.”

“Huh?” I couldn’t hide my surprise. “A…king?” The Black Dragon King…is this why everyone calls him that?

Zavilia nodded. “If I stay as I am, fighting alone, I’ll one day lose to the many roving groups of monsters. That’s why I must become the Dragon King. I must rule over my people—over my dragons.”

“Uh…yeah. Yeah, okay, go for it…?” Didn’t he say something about becoming a king before? I’ll support him if this is what he wants…but I’ll really miss him.

“Fia, black dragons grow three horns when they become king. I’ve never wanted to become king—in fact, I never knew how I would become a king—but this horn grew when I protected you. Yes…just as a king cannot exist without subjects, I now know that I must protect many dragons to become worthy of having three horns.”

He chuckled lightly. “I don’t think I can keep up with you as I am now.” He raised his front leg, then… “So let me go become someone who can protect you.”

And Zavilia, the black dragon, snapped his own horn off.

“Huh?!” I exclaimed. His horn, as tall as a grown man, toppled from his head and pierced the ground upright. “Wh-what?! But you just got it! Why’d you—”

My voice was drowned out by Quentin’s scream. “Th-the Black Dragon King’s horn has broken! Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Zavilia glared at Quentin and Zackary and, in a low, threatening tone, spoke. “Protect Fia until I return…and if you fail to offer your very life to her, I may take it!” His massive legs kicked his own broken horn to the captains. “Behold your payment! May you use this to protect Fia instead of your dull swords.”

“Th-the Black Dragon King’s horn?!” Quentin exclaimed, overtaken by awe. “Yes! I swear I’ll protect Miss Fia, even at the cost of my own life!”

Uh. It was a little distasteful how ready Quentin was to risk his life when presented with Zavilia’s horn, you know? “C-Captain Quentin, wait! Please think this over! A promise with a monster becomes an unbreakable contract once you agree to it!”

“Don’t worry, Miss Fia!” he cried. “I’d do anything for the Black Dragon King’s horn!”

“I-Is that right…?” Yeah, I wasn’t gonna be able to talk him out of it…

Zavilia lowered his head. He was close to my face now, and his eyes—gravely serious—flitted to me. “Our lives are connected. If something bad happens to you, I’ll be the one to die first.”

“Huh?! Really?!”

Zavilia chuckled. “Really. But I still want to do all kinds of things with you. Don’t go too crazy while I’m gone, okay?”

“I won’t! I absolutely won’t!”

“Ha ha…I think you will. Call it a hunch, eh? But that’s all right. Be yourself, Fia. If anything happens, call for me. I’ll come running.” He winked at me playfully. “Or flying, perhaps. Regardless, I’ll be back before you know it, so…see you.”

I understood he was trying to keep things light by joking around, but…it was the way he said “see you.” His voice, it was so dang small. I couldn’t help but feel emotional.

“Zavilia…” I tried to sound happy. My voice cracked.

Zavilia…things are different from last time, when we had only known each other for a day. I won’t forget you. No matter how many years pass.

I put my hands on his head and touched my forehead to his. “Okay. I love you, Zavilia. I’ll be waiting for you to come home.”

Having both said what we wanted, he left. With one beat of his great wings, Zavilia took to the skies.

By the time I remembered the plan we’d concocted at the meeting, Zavilia was already out of sight. “Ah! C-Captain Quentin, the rock, the rock! Throw the rock you got from Blackpeak Mountain!”

Snap, back to reality! Quentin threw the rock toward the direction Zavilia flew off to—but oh, there went gravity, and the rock skipped over the dirt uselessly. It was far too late.

“W-well, the order’s wrong,” I muttered, “but, hey…at least we did all the steps.” And nobody said a word.

Everyone faced the direction Zavilia had gone with a look of blank awe on their faces. I couldn’t blame them, really. Zavilia was just that amazing, you know? I could only follow suit and look the same direction.

Zavilia must’ve been looking at the same sky. Surely he was.

He was a black dragon—one of a beautiful, terrifying, legendary, ancient race of dragons, strong enough to defeat blue dragons with ease and proud enough to strive for the title of king. But he was also spoiled, a sleepyhead, easily jealous, oh-so-cynical…and someone I knew I could count on.

My dear friend, Zavilia.

I’ll be waiting for you, bluebird. Come back, okay? Come back soon…